Dental polishing disk



Aug. 26. 1924. 1,506,078

G. A. PARKS DENTAL POLISHING DISK Filed July 22 1922 Patented Aug. 26, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DENTAL POLISHING DISK.

Application filed July 22, 1922. Serial No. 576,669;

To a]? whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. PARKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sherrard. in the county of Mercer and State of Illinois,.have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dental Polishing Disks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to disks employed in dentistry for grinding and polishing. These disks are made of cloth, paper or other similar material provided with a deposit of sand, carborundum or other abrasive material and by reason of their structure. they are easily affected by pressure and moisture and often buckle or collapse early in their use and while in the patients mouth.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a disk of substantial construction which may be used in the mouth for grinding down and polishing fillings and for separating teeth or smoothing cavity margins, and which may also be used out of the mouth for grinding and polishing crowns, bridges, artificial dentures and other parts or materials used in dentistry that may require reducing and polishing.

The invention also has for its object to reinforce and strengthen these dental disks so that they may be continued in use until the abrasive material is worn away without liability of the disk buckling or collapsing.

And a further object of the invention is to provide a disk of this description with a flexible reinforcement which will not add materially to the weight or to the dimensions of the disk and which will not be affected by moisture.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a selected embodiment of the invention Fig. 1 is an elevation showing the disk mounted on a mandrel which is operated in the usual manner by dental engine;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the abrasive side of the disk;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the reverse side of the disk;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view.

Referring to the drawings 5 designates a mandrel of any suitable kind adapted for use in an ordinary dental engine. The disk 6 is mounted on themandrel and secured in place by a screw 7 or other suitable means.

The drawings represent a disk having an abrasive surface 8 and it will be understood that this abrasive surface may be formed of any desired material or it ,may be nonabraslve for a purely polishing operation. The disk is usually made of paper or cloth and it is obviously unsubstantial in structure and very often quickly collapses and breaks down while being operated in the patients mouth. Unless the dentist exercises especial care there is always danger of cutting or otherwise injuring the gums or the tongue or cheek when the disk collapses or breaks down. To prevent this collapsing and breaking down of the disk I provide a flexible reinforce 9 of less diameter than the disk and concentrically afiixed thereto on the side 10, opposite the abrasive side 8, by shellac or any other suitable adhesive. This reinforcin disk is made of thin material which wi not be affected by moisture and which will have as much flexibility as the polishing disk. I have found that thin celluloid answers the pur ose very well. The reinforce disk is of su 'ciently less diameter than the polishing disk to provide a peripheral surface of the side 10 surrounding the reinforcin disk so that the edge of the polishing isk may be inserted between two teeth without afiecting the reinforce or engaging it.

I have found that a reinforcing disk of less diameter than the polishing disk will provide a suflicient reinforce for the polishing disk and enable it to be used in practice until worn out without liability of buckling or collapsing. The reinforce not only prevents the polishing disk from buckling or collapsing as disks do which are not reinforced in this manner but it strengthens the polishing disk so that the annular portion thereof projecting beyond the reinforcing disk is strengthened against breaking down even though it is not covered by the reinforcin disk.

My invention is intended for use in connection with polishing or abrading disks made of cloth, paper or other material and treated in any suitable manner with any of the abrasives or polishing materials customarily employed for this purpose, and it is also intended for use to reinforce and strengthen disks which are employed solely for polishing and not for abrading or cutting. I prefer to make the reinforcing disk ofthin celluloid in a circular shape since it will provide the desired strength and flexibility without adding materially to the weight and without being affected by moisture; but other materials may be used if found as satisfactory.

I have found in practice that disks reinforced in accordance with my invention can be advantageously used in a dental lathe or dental engine for reducing and polishing vulcanized rubber and other materials used in making artificial dentures. I also find that the reinforced disks conform in work to the surfaces to be reduced or polished without buckling or collapsing, thereby enabling the operator to use greater pressure than is customary since the reinforcement makes the disk more durable and efiicient.

The polishing disk may be made in various sizes, as usual and changes may be made in the form and in the dimensions of the reinforcing disk without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention and I reserve the right to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

A dental disk comprising a thin polishing disk, and a reinforcing disk of thin nonabsorbent flexible material afiixed to one side of the polishing disk and of less diameter than the polishing disk to permit the polishing disk to be used between approximating surfaces ofthe fillings to be reduced and finished.

GEORGE A. PARKS. 

